This awesome verse was on my SheReadsTruth devotional for today. Check it out...just more evidence of God's ancient plan.  Isaiah 25:8-9:

He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remover forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken! In that day the people will proclaim, "This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!" 

Last two songs for this week

I will be traveling tomorrow and won't be able to post a song for tomorrow so I'll do it tonight.

This first song cuts me to the heart. It's called "Love Song" by Third Day. It was played during the crucifixion scene during the Thorn, so having that memory in my mind when I hear it adds a whole other dimension. The love of Jesus fulfills and surpasses any other kind of love. The greatest part of the song is towards the end when he says, "I would do it all again." And I believe it. He went to such great lengths to show His love for us, just to be with us.

This next song by Casting Crowns is also a very meaningful song. God's love is so extravagant. "Spread wide in the arms of Christ is a love that covers sin." 

A joyous Easter weekend to you, friends! May you find endless peace and love in Christ, and in Christ alone! 

Grace and peace, 

Libby and Emmy

The Ancient Plan

I just love how God was preparing His people for the salvation plan from the beginning of the people of Israel. 

He told them and told them and told them. He instructed them how to live. He spoke through the mouths of prophets like Isaiah (49:5).

All throughout Isaiah are proclamations of the coming Servant King. My NIV Study Bible likes the notion of the "Suffering Servant" that Isaiah talks about, which was ultimately fulfilled in Christ. 

Some prophesies are just snippets of clues, and some of them are clearly obvious. But it just amazes me that this far ahead of the time the Messiah came God was very diligent in making Israel aware that there was an Anointed One coming to save them. 

Even just two chapters--Isaiah 49-50--are chock full of things to come. I like how 50:1 says 

Because of your sins you were sold

This is so important to remember, our salvation came at a high price. Our sins sold us into bondage. Our freedom had to be bought, we had to be bought (I Corinthians 6:20).

Anyway, back to the prophesies of Christ. There is a chilling foreshadow to His suffering in Isaiah 50:6

I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

Needless to say, God prepared His people for their Savior long before He came. In the same way, He will prepare us for when He comes again. May our Lord Jesus Christ come soon! 

Another Casting Crowns Favorite

The lyrics of this song are so descriptive, so beautiful, and so convicting.
Think about the deep love of Christ for the human race.
"No one but Jesus could ever love so."

I heard a really neat quote on Air1 or K-Love this afternoon...I think it was Air1. I don't remember exactly word-for-word what the DJ said, but it was something along the lines of this:

We have become addicted with ourselves and Jesus is the only one who showed us how to quit cold turkey.

How did he show us? He served others. The DJ had been talking about how freeing it is when we finally learn how to get over ourselves.  And the way we do that is look beyond ourselves. Nothing compares to the feeling you get from doing a service to other people.

Living He Loved Me

I am hoping to post some songs that are special to me this week to help us get our hearts and minds focused on Christ Jesus. One Christian music group I really like is Casting Crowns. They have such deep, thought provoking lyrics. Here's their version of a classic hymn:

The Love, The Glory, The Thorn

I have just had this on my heart and have to share it, especially since it relates to Em.
Emmy has been involved in a show called "The Thorn." It is a portrayal of the Passion story using song, dance, drama, and music.
I saw a couple scenes during their rehearsal when I went to go pick her up on Wednesday night.
I went to the show on Friday and Saturday night.
Each time, I was shaken and stirred. For all the times I have seen on videos or TV a movie about the life of Christ, none has impacted me as much as The Thorn. I truly believe the Spirit is very active in the show. It brought life these tremendous historical events of Jesus' life.
Sometimes in life we try to avoid feeling things. We sometimes don't trust our emotions or feelings. In the case of the Passion though, I believe it is so important to let oneself be deeply moved. In growing up in the church and being a Christ follower for years, I had become too accustomed to hearing the account of His life, sacrifice, and triumph that I didn't always feel the magnitude of it. God has just really reached out to me through the Thorn in using it to rekindle fire, stir my heart, and shake me up towards the glory of the blood of His Son (listen to the wonderful song by Avalon called, "The Glory"!).
The Thorn is a terrific experience for visual learners. It helped me to visualize many scenes from the Bible, such as what a big deal is was when John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Or actually depicting the spiritual warfare that goes on in our lives. Man, that was a huge thing for me. It actually showed the fact that Satan is real, demons are real and while that is terrifying, God has commanded His mighty angels in protecting us in our spiritual battles.
To sum it up, I think some great hymns of our faith express it well:
"When my love to Christ grows weak, when for deeper faith I seek, then in thought I go to thee, Garden of Gethsemane."
"If ever I loved, Thee, my Jesus tis now."

Hosanna- Save Us!

Time to start nurturing this little blog again :)

This is the week many people hold as Holy Week. It started yesterday with Palm Sunday, marking the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey while the crowds yelled, "Hosanna!" On Friday, we will remember when the crowds screamed "Crucify Him!!"

I looked up the origin of Hosanna and it means Save. The people were shouting for Jesus to save them! They probably were meaning save them from Roman rule, but I wonder if they knew how He really would save them.

To commemorate the Holy Week, I want to share some songs that have really impacted me in regards to the greatest Love Story.

"Love in that story so tender. Clearer than ever I see. Stay let me weep while you whisper, love paid the ransom for me."